Computer systems and other electronic systems may be mounted in rack structures. In a rack-mounted system, various system components may be stacked vertically, one atop another, so that the system takes up less floor space. Individual components are typically mounted in the rack structure with a slide arrangement. The slide arrangement allows the respective component to slide into the rack structure to an operating position or slide outwardly from the rack to a service position. Extending the component to the service position makes the component readily accessible for reparations, upgrades, or other service operations.
In rack-mounted computer systems, individually mounted components may include servers, other computers, and direct access storage devices such as disk drives and RAID subsystems, for example. These individually mounted components may themselves include modular subcomponents which may be modified or exchanged without detaching the entire individually mounted component from the rack. In the rack-mounted computer system example, rack-mounted servers or computers may include redundant modular power supplies or disk drives. These subcomponents may be "hot-swapable," meaning that the subcomponents may be removed and replaced without disconnecting the component from the system and interrupting system operation.
Each individually mounted component is generally connected to a variety of cables. These cables commonly include power cables which route electrical power to the component, and also include communications cables which allow the rack-mounted component to communicate with other components or peripheral devices. For example, a typical rack-mounted processor component may use separate cables to connect to a video monitor, a printer, a local area network (LAN), and external storage devices such as disk drives, RAID drives, optical disks, and tape drives. The required cables usually connect at the back of the rack-mounted component.
In rack-mounted systems in which the individual components may slide in and out of the rack, the cables required for the individual components must be arranged so that the cables do not interfere with the movement of the component in the rack. In order to accommodate the desired movement of the component, cables which connect to the component must be long enough to allow the component to slide out to its extended service position. Yet the cables must be arranged so they do not become entangled when the component is in the retracted operating position.
Devices known as cable arms or cable management arms are commonly used in rackmounted systems to hold the various cables leading to a component, while allowing the component to be moved in the rack as desired. These cable management arms include two or more rigid segments which are connected together by hinges. The segment at one end of the arm is hinged to a back area of the rack while the segment at the opposite end of the arm is hinged to the back portion of the rack-mounted component or some structure adapted to move with the component. This arrangement of rigid segments and hinges allows the segments of the cable management arm to fold together to lay substantially flat against the back of the component when the component is in the retracted operating position. When the component slides to the service position, however, the segments may separate or pivot apart to allow the cable management arm to extend. Cables which must be connected to the back of the component may be secured to the cable management arm so that the cables move with the arm as it unfolds or folds in response to movement of the component within the rack. Thus, by securing the cables to the arm, the cables can be managed without interfering with the movement of the component within the rack.
Since cable management arms may carry a large number of cables and must articulate in a very confined space, the various segments which make up the arm must be fairly strong and the hinges must not allow significant play aside from the desired articulation. The connections which connect the cable management arm to the rack and to the component must also be sturdy and secure. To provide these secure connections, prior cable management arms have used fasteners such as screws which may be installed or removed only with the aid of tools.
In some cases, the end of the cable management arm connected to the rack-mounted component or structure associated with the component may, due to limited space at the back of the component, block access to modular subcomponents which are mounted on the rack-mounted component. This is particularly true in compact rack-mounted systems in which the individual components are relatively narrow. In these cases, the width of the cable management arm may be nearly equal to the width of the component itself. Thus, although the cable management arm allows the component to be extended from the rack for servicing, the cable management arm itself may interfere with service access. Where the cable management arm interferes with service access, it must be at least partially disconnected to allow the desired access. However, the prior cable management arms required a technician to use a suitable tool to disconnect the cable arm, and then reconnect the arm after the service operation. The prior art cable management arm connecting arrangements not only required a technician to carry the appropriate tools, but also wasted valuable time as the technician disconnected and then reconnected the arm.